Survivor's Guilt
by M. Scott Eiland
Summary: (COMPLETE!) Xander visits Buffy in an attempt to help her deal with the aftermath of Kendra's death. Sixth story in my "Straight Ahead" universe.
1. Part I

Summary: Xander visits Buffy in an attempt to help her deal with the aftermath of Kendra's death. Sixth story in my "Straight Ahead" universe.  
  
Disclaimer: These characters are all the property of their owners/creators (not me).   
  
Rating: PG-13. Violence, language, and general intensity  
  
Time Frame: Post second season, and flashback to the end of the second season (alternate timeline).  
  
Archiving: Please do. . .but e-mail me at eilandesq@aol.com to let me know. . .I like to know where my stuff ends up. . .and I might want to see what else you have got.  
  
Author's Note: I've been hinting at this throughout the previous stories in this series, so I thought it was time to go ahead and write it, particularly since I've gotten more than a few E-mails requesting it (thanks everyone! : - ) ). I would like to acknowledge the inspiration that posters on both the Buffy creative newsgroup and on alt.tv-BTVS have provided for this story, particularly the thread on possible "Buffy" guest stars, from which I am taking the descriptions of two of the major characters in this story.   
  
SURVIVOR'S GUILT  
  
Part I  
  
AUGUST 12th, 1998  
  
Buffy lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, with Mr. Gordo cradled in her arms. She had lost five pounds since the end of the school year, and the loss was plainly visible on her already slender form. Dark circles were under her eyes, and even one who did not know her would have been able to tell that they had been there already for far too long. A nasty bruise was visible on her right cheek, and it was a sign of the degree of her deterioration that it had been there for two days without healing. She thought of rising, of making the trivial effort of applying enough makeup to cover the blemish long enough for it to heal, but after a moment she shrugged inwardly and remained where she was, awash in the numbness of her soul.  
  
A soft knock came from her closed door, and Buffy looked at it in momentary annoyance. Her mother could be annoyingly persistent at times. In frustration at Buffy's state, she had threatened to have her committed to a mental hospital if she continued to refuse to eat, and Buffy had no doubt that she meant it. She accepted one meal a day in her room, ate as much as she felt like, then hid the remains until she could safely dispose of them. She looked at her clock-radio and realized that it was too early for dinner. She eased herself out of bed and walked over to the door and pulled it open without ceremony.  
  
Xander stood there, his face grim. Buffy blinked and for a moment sounded almost normal as she asked, "What's wrong. . .is there another demon on the loose? It's too early for vampires."  
  
Xander shook his head and replied, "No, Buffy. . .all's clear on the Hellmouth front." He took in her appearance in a glance and had to take a deep breath before continuing, "I'm here to talk to you, Buffy."  
  
Buffy's eyes flared, and Xander shuddered as he realized that the relatively feeble glare that she was giving him was a genuine attempt to make him leave without further discussion; as it stood, it only increased his determination to stay as she grated out, "Xander, I think I've made my feelings on this matter perfectly clear. . .I'll deal with whatever supernatural nasties show up around here, but I don't want to talk to anyone outside of what's required for the job. . .not Willow, not Giles, not Angel. . .and not you. I'm the Slayer. . .I'm getting the job done. . .and that's all any of you have a right to expect from me."  
  
Xander locked eyes with Buffy, and for once his intensity was superior to hers as he replied, "Buffy, in the last month, you've come within an eyelash of being killed three times. One time you got lucky and the idiot vamp tripped over a rock. Angel got there just in time to save you from that Naganis demon, and the other night. . .Buffy, any vamp that I can stake one-on-one shouldn't give you the slightest bit of trouble. . .but it did." Xander's tone was calm and precise as he repeated the damning facts, and the impact on Buffy was far greater than if he had been angry or sarcastic. She listened quietly as he concluded, "Buffy, the way things are going, you're not doing the job. . .you're marking time until you die. . .and that just won't do."  
  
Buffy looked away from a moment, then turned back and snapped bitterly, "Fine! I'm off my game. . .but I still don't want to see anyone! I told Mom that. . .maybe you sweet talked your way past her, but I'm not buying. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kick your ass down the stairs so I can be in peace!"  
  
Xander looked at her calmly and replied, "Because a little over a year ago, Buffy, I let Dead Boy lead me into the most dangerous place in the world to save you from that damned prophecy. If you're determined to throw your life away, I can't stop you, but you at least owe me a few minutes of your time to listen to what I have to say. . .so that I don't have to feel that I risked my life just to watch you waste the chance I gave you to live without even trying to talk you out of it."   
  
Buffy paled, then looked at Xander and nodded once before stepping back and admitting him into her room, after which she moved over to sit on her bed. Xander pulled a chair over next to her, and they sat quietly before she turned to him and whispered, "All right Xander, I'm listening."  
  
He looked at her for a long moment, then said what he came to say in the simplest terms possible: "Buffy, she wouldn't have wanted you to take it like this."  
  
Buffy looked at him and laughed bitterly before whispering, "She wouldn't have wanted me to let her die, either." Her eyes shone with tears as she looked at her friend and continued, "I let her die, Xander. She needed me. . .and I let her die."  
  
Xander resisted the urge to hug her, instead clasping her hands in his as he replied, "Buffy, Kendra died stopping the world from ending. . .and it just as easily could have been you. . .it almost was. You did the best you could, but if you don't get past this, it might as well have been both of you who died that day. . .and losing Kendra was hard enough. Losing you. . .I can't even imagine what it would be like."  
  
Buffy closed her eyes, tears running down her cheeks as she whispered, "Damn it, Xander, I've heard the whole speech from Giles. . .I did my best. . .I couldn't have stopped it. . .so why do I feel like such a miserable failure? I had just gotten over the whole thing with Angel, the lives my weakness cost because of that. . .and then this came up. . .I never saw it coming."  
  
Xander leaned over, and Buffy came easily into his arms, sobbing bitterly. As the two friends held each other, they remembered the events that had brought them to this time and place.   
  
  
JUNE 3RD, 1998  
  
Buffy prowled the park path quietly, looking for trouble; however, trouble didn't seem to be seeking her out on this particular night. Xander had offered to patrol with her, but she knew that he was seriously behind in Chemistry, and Willow had promised to keep him on the straight and narrow that night.   
  
Buffy suspected that Angel still lurked about, keeping an eye on her well being even as they carefully avoided each other. She didn't sense him near her tonight, though, and it was just as well. . .no use having both of them being bored. She was contemplating packing it in for the night when she saw a figure several hundred feet ahead on the path. Curious, she continued along the path, wanting to see if it was a vampire, or some seriously clueless individual who had no idea that walking around in Sunnydale past midnight was a seriously bad plan.  
  
As she approached the figure, she could see that he was tall, dark-skinned, and really bald. The dim lights in the park glinted off of the man's scalp, making it clear that he had no hair whatsoever. He wore a long duster like Spike favored before he skipped town. He had a walking stick, though Buffy had the feeling that he didn't need it for getting around. When she was within fifty feet of him, Buffy saw him look at her and give a faint smile: the oddness of the reaction made her tingle, and she was irrationally glad when she saw him breathing. . .the last thing she needed was another vampire in her life. . .it was quite crowded enough with them, thank you very much. She was about to call out to him when three vampires came out of the shadows and surrounded the man. Buffy cursed and ran over to the ominous scene, kicking one of the demons in the back and sending him sprawling. Another turned and faced her, leaving the stranger facing the remaining vampire. As she engaged the other two, she took an occasional peek at the stranger to make sure he was not in imminent danger of death. She blinked, startled at what she was seeing.  
  
The stranger hefted his walking stick, clearly not needing it to stay on his feet, and used it like a Louisville Slugger on the jaw of the vampire approaching him, knocking the surprised demon onto its back. It recovered quickly and attacked again, only to find the stranger fending off its attacks without noticeable effort. As Buffy saw an opening in one of her opponent's defenses and stabbed through it, dusting the vampire, she saw the stranger sidestep a charge from the frustrated vampire, after which he pressed a stud on the stick, causing a point to spring out of its tip. As the vampire turned around, it found the point. . .which was made from wood. . .piercing its heart. It screamed and burst into dust.  
  
The last vampire sized up the situation and ran. Buffy was preparing to give chase when the man tapped her on the shoulder, then offered in a deep baritone, "Allow me." He sized up the fleeing figure, then threw the stick like a spear: it flew directly into the vampire's back and into its heart, causing it to burst into dust and sending the staff/spear clattering to the ground.   
  
Buffy stared at the man in disbelief as he retrieved his staff and retracted the point, after which he walked up to the Slayer. He noted her stare and chuckled deeply, admitting, "All right, I know it's a cultural stereotype. . .but it's far more effective than just beating them on the head with a big stick, isn't it?"  
  
Buffy took in the sight of the stranger with an eye to detail, now that the immediate threat was gone. He was about six foot four, and had to go at least 230 lbs., none of it apparently fat. He seemed to be about Giles' age, though the blatant lack of hair made it hard to tell: he could be anywhere from thirty-five to fifty-five. His voice was clearly educated, with a hint of something that Buffy felt should be recognizable, but which escaped her for the moment. She looked at him for a moment, then asked the first question that came to mind: "Who are you?"  
  
The man chuckled again, then replied, "In a moment. . .let me catch my breath and tell you how much I am impressed with your form." Buffy blinked, then raised an eyebrow before the man continued, "You sized up the situation perfectly, drew two of the three attackers away from the presumably vulnerable target, and killed one quite quickly and would have done the same to the second. . .I just wanted to save time. It's an honor to meet you. . .Miss Summers."  
  
Buffy blinked again, unnerved at getting such a Giles-like speech from a stranger, then pulled herself together and replied, "Thanks. . .I think. Now, would you mind telling me who you are and how you know who I am?"  
  
The man smiled at her, revealing perfect white teeth that created a marked contrast to his dark skin, then replied, "I recognized you from Kendra's description, Miss Summers. . .my name is Samuel Zabuto."  
  
Buffy felt a rush of relief as she realized why Zabuto's voice sounded familiar: it was obviously influenced by the years this man would have spent in England, receiving training as a Watcher. She smiled and commented, "Kendra told me about you. . .how is she?"  
  
The Field Watcher smiled gently and replied, "She is well. . .I sent her to locate Mr. Giles, as time is of the essence." He looked at the Slayer grimly as he elaborated, "Though I have been anticipating meeting you at some time or another, Miss Summers, I think you will understand that Kendra and I have not come here on a social call."  
  
Buffy nodded, all business now, and responded, "Yeah. . .I'm guessing that one of you found some nasty sounding prophecy about Sunnydale in one of those big, dusty books that I spend so much time avoiding, and you jumped on the first cargo plane here to help us deal with it."  
  
Buffy saw Zabuto smile ruefully at the reference to Kendra's first appearance in Sunnydale before he replied, "Actually, we flew business class. . .the Council is being more forthcoming with funds lately. . .probably due to the scathing phone call I made to them about how inept they were at providing me with the information that Kendra needed to operate effectively in Sunnydale. They have been forwarding Mr. Giles' Watcher Diary entries to me, and we are up to speed as to what has happened in Sunnydale up to last week." He looked at her with concern and asked, "How are you coping with the aftermath of the whole matter with Angelus, Miss Summers?"  
  
Buffy paused a moment, remembering that she needed to censor herself with this man, and replied, "O.K., I guess. . .I haven't seen much of Angel lately. We've been avoiding each other, for obvious reasons, and I've been busy with my Slayer duties." She looked at him with a certain amount of wariness in her eyes and commented, "I suppose you aren't too thrilled with the way I acted regarding that whole thing."  
  
Zabuto frowned, then replied, "I admit that when Kendra first told me about it, and later when I learned about the breaking of the curse, I was inclined to look less than favorably at Mr. Giles' supervision of you; however, the entries from his Watcher's diaries make it clear how devoted Angelu-um, Angel, rather, has been to you, and how he has saved your life on several occasions. You had no way of knowing what would happen, and you have ceased to see him now that the danger is known. . .your behavior has been exemplary, particularly given the difficulties of your situation."  
  
Buffy flushed, and looked down as she murmured, "Thank you, Mr. Zabuto." A thought occurred to her, and she commented, "Mr. Zabuto, you clearly can handle yourself, but Sunnydale is very dangerous at night. . .you shouldn't have come after me alone. What would have happened if those vampires had jumped you before you found me?"  
  
Zabuto began to reply, but was interrupted by a familiar voice: "I would have come from de bushes and killed de vampires, den Mr. Zabuto would have chastised me for disobeying his instructions. I almost did, but den I would have missed out on watching you kill dem." Kendra walked out of the shadows, and Buffy walked over to her and clasped hands with her fellow Slayer before they turned back to the visibly annoyed Watcher.  
  
"Kendra, I gave you specific instructions to seek out Mr. Giles. . .I don't need babysitting, thank you." Zabuto's tone reminded Buffy of Giles when she had ignored something he had said, and she was curious to see how the "by the book" younger Slayer would react.  
  
Kendra raised a delicate eyebrow and replied, "I decided to save a little walking and used de telephone. Mr. Giles left a message saying dat he would be at de Museum of Natural History, and I knew dat de patrol route Buffy uses was in dat direction, so I caught up wit you and followed until de vampires showed up."  
  
Zabuto looked at his Slayer for a long moment, then nodded and acknowledged the explanation with a curt, "Very well, then." He turned to Buffy and asked, "Miss Summers, could you lead us to the museum in question, please?"  
  
Buffy winced, then replied, "If we have to." Zabuto and Kendra looked at her curiously, and Buffy laughed self-consciously and motioned for them to follow her as she elaborated, "Sorry. . .just bad memories. It all started with my mom agreeing to take in this exchange student named Ampata. . ."  
  
  
  
* * * * *  
  
  
The front door to the museum was standing wide open, rather odd for the hour in question. The three of them quietly entered, and located the building directory, which listed the location for the Archaeology Department, where Giles was supposed to be.   
  
The doors to the Archaeology Department were standing wide open, and they were preparing to enter when the sensitive nostrils of the Slayers picked up a familiar smell: fresh blood. They looked at each other and burst into the room, finding Giles standing over a body.  
  
The Watcher turned and greeted the newcomers with surprise and relief, "Buffy. . .Kendra? What are you doing here? I-" Giles noted the tall stranger standing behind the Slayers, and his eyebrows raised as he asked, "Samuel Zabuto?"  
  
Kendra's Watcher nodded and replied, "It's good to meet you at last, Mr. Giles, but it seems that we have a more pressing situation to deal with." He indicated the body on the floor next to Giles.  
  
Giles nodded, his face grim as he elaborated, "Dr. Douglas Perren, head of the Archaeology Department. He called me in yesterday to advise him about some pictoglyphs that he found on an archaic monolith, and I came back here tonight to talk to him. . .and found him like this." He nodded at the body, and Buffy, in spite of her experience with being around corpses, winced as she took in the sight of Dr. Perren. Nasty claw marks were visible all over his body, and his throat had been torn out. Worst of all, the top of his skull had been ripped off, and his brain was missing.  
  
Zabuto nodded calmly, though revulsion was visible in his eyes, and asked, "The monolith?"  
  
Giles frowned and replied, "Gone. Whoever did this broke open the loading dock doors and carried it out through there. . .it weighed several tons. . .whoever did this had proper machinery. . .or a lot of muscle."  
  
Zabuto nodded again, as if this was no surprise to him, then asked, "Were you able to translate the pictoglyphs?"  
  
Giles nodded and replied grimly, "Yes. . .I did. . .so you have come to the same conclusion?"  
  
Zabuto nodded and explained, "The find was documented on a archaeology related website. . .my computer is set to flag such findings. . .a picture of the pictoglyphs appeared in the article. . .I was so hoping to be wrong."  
  
Giles frowned and replied, "No such luck, I'm afraid. . .we have a serious problem."  
  
There was the sound of a woman clearing her throat, and the Watchers turned to face an annoyed Buffy and a visibly concerned Kendra. Buffy locked eyes with her Watcher and asked, "Are you going to let us Slayers in on this situation any time soon? What does some big rock with squiggly writing on it have to do with some archaeologist having his brains ripped out?"  
  
Giles frowned and replied, "We can't be sure until we get back to the library and do some research. . .but Mr. Zabuto and I seem to be in agreement. . .the artifact stolen poses a great risk to the entire world. . .it could end everything."  
  
Giles paused, momentarily unable to continue, and Zabuto elaborated, "The monolith appears to be the resting place of the demon known as Acathla." He paused and continued, "If we do not find it before the demon is awakened, the world as we know it will end."  
  
Buffy shuddered, then replied, "Then we shouldn't waste any time. . .let's get out of here. We can call 911 from a pay phone outside." The four of them left, leaving the carnage for the police to discover when they wandered in thirty minutes later.  
  
  
. . .to be continued.  
  
As always, comments are welcome and desired.  



	2. Part II

SURVIVOR'S GUILT  
  
Part II  
  
Buffy walked along the seashore, breathing in the cool night sea air. She couldn't recall what had made her come out here at night. . .it wasn't exactly a vampire hot spot. Somehow, it felt right. The light of the moon and stars allowed her to see clearly, and as she approached the seaside cliffs she saw a small cave opening exposed by the low tide. Curious, she walked over and entered the cave. Phosphorescent moss gave off a dim light that allowed her to see as she moved along, and she soon reached what seemed to be a crudely carved walkway in the rock.  
  
After a few minutes of walking, she saw flickering torch light ahead. She moved towards it and abruptly came out into a large cavern lit by torches resting in fixtures carved into obscene parodies of living things. Buffy gasped at what she saw: about twenty of the most horrible looking demons she had ever seen were sitting in a semicircle around what appeared to be a throne on some sort of swivel. The throne appeared to be occupied, from the behavior of the demons, but it was turned away from them, and the high back of the seat hid the occupant from Buffy. The demons were blue green, with dank black hair, wicked teeth and claws, and appeared to be female. Buffy had the distinct impression that one of them would be a handful for her: if they chose to attack her en masse, Kendra would have to get used to a new fellow Slayer rather abruptly. As if in response to her thoughts, the familiar voice came from her right, whispering, "Dis is not a situation we want to be in, Buffy."  
  
Buffy looked over and saw Kendra, and for some reason was not surprised. She frowned and asked, "All right, you're the smart one. . .what do we do now? Get out of here and find a whole lot of backup?"  
  
Kendra shook her head and replied, "Too late." Buffy looked over and saw that all of the demons were watching them, soft snarls coming from their throats. . .but they seemed disinclined to attack. Abruptly, the demons broke their semicircle, and formed two parallel rows, creating a pathway to the foot of the throne.  
  
Buffy turned and inquired, "Well, isn't that cozy. . .should we accept the invitation, or make a break for it?"  
  
Kendra looked behind them, and Buffy could see Kendra's mind evaluating the chances of outrunning the larger demons over the uneven ground of the corridor, and realized that the younger Slayer had come to the same conclusion as she had. Kendra frowned and replied, "We have very little to lose. . .let's go."  
  
The Slayers walked slowly along the created path, warily eyeing the vicious looking demons standing at attention. As they passed, the creatures performed what appeared to be a display of convoluted choreography and split second timing as they made odd motions with their arms, legs, and torsos. It seemed to be going smoothly until one of the ones in the front rank made a misstep and stumbled, falling onto its back. It got up quickly, and the Slayers could hear the other demons snarling at it in disapproval.  
  
The throne swiveled about, and Buffy could hear Kendra gasp in surprise at the appearance of the occupant of the throne. She was inclined to make some sort of display herself, but contented herself with a fascinated stare.  
  
Giles had often speculated that one of the most important edges that a Slayer had was the tendency for opponents to take her less seriously because she did not look like a killing machine: even though the demon quickly figured out that she was not just an easy lunch, the subconscious image still had an impact. That theory came to mind as Buffy watched the figure come down from the throne and walk up to the Slayers. The apparent mistress of this awesome looking force of demons was smaller than either Buffy or Kendra, though not by much. She wore a form-fitting red dress with short sleeves, and simple flat black shoes. Her dark brown hair was cut to medium length, accenting her deathly pale, but flawless features. Her eyes. . .they were brilliant blue, and as they focused on Buffy, she felt a shudder go through her at the absolute malice that she sensed lurking behind the amusement that the eyes tried to project.  
  
The woman smiled and purred, "Buffy. . .Kendra. . .welcome. I wanted to greet you properly. . .which reminds me, give me a moment, will you?" She walked up to the demon who had stumbled and whispered with the sound of venom dripping on ice, "I set all of this up so that we could greet our enemies properly, and you had to spoil it all. . .I must say, I'm quite upset with you."  
  
Buffy and Kendra were transfixed at the sight of the demon, who towered a good foot and a half over the scolding woman, looking simultaneously abashed and terrified. She smiled at the demon and commented, "Oh well, these things happen. . .I suppose. I guess I'll just have to figure out a way for you to make it up to me." The demon managed to look relieved, and the leader turned away for a moment, then turned back and commented, "Oh, I just thought of a way." Her right hand moved in a blur that challenged even the perception of the two watching Slayers, and abruptly the demon was missing its throat. It stayed erect for a few seconds, blood spurting, before it collapsed into a heap and died without further ado. The leader nodded, then commented, "That'll do it," as she walked back up to her throne and commented, "Please accept my apologies for the unpleasantness. . .they try hard, but sometimes they prove wanting. . .and the example will be instructive to the others."  
  
Buffy and Kendra were speechless for a moment, then Buffy managed to reply, "Uh, yeah, whatever. . .I don't suppose you'd like to tell us who you are and what you're doing here? I don't mean to be all James Bondy, but as long as you're talking to us and not trying to eat us, I thought I'd give it a shot."  
  
The woman smiled, and her expression somehow managed to simultaneously communicate simple matter of factness and utter malice as she replied, "My name is Tanara . . .I think your Watchers will recognize the name when you run to them after this is over. These lovely ladies are my servants, who will share in the glory when I bring about the end of this miserable little world." She turned the throne slightly, then pointed at a darkened section of the cavern. Torches abruptly flared, and Buffy and Kendra could clearly see what appeared to be a stone figure of a demon with a sword protruding from its chest. Tanara smiled and commented, "Not the most impressive thing in the world, is it? But with the right rituals . . .it will suck your pathetic world into the demon dimension, and then the fun begins."  
  
Buffy looked at Kendra, then back at Tanara as she commented, "So, the Apocalypse is here, huh? Been there, done that. . .so why are you telling us this? Seems to me that having two Slayers knowing what you're up to might put a crimp in your plans."  
  
Tanara laughed, and the unholy sound of it sent chills down the Slayers' backs as the demoness replied, "Because you can't stop it. . .and even if I thought you might be able to, the glory of doing what I will do with two Slayers attempting to stop me. . .why, what greater accomplishment could be imaginable?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know. . .making a product that's both a floor wax and a dessert topping?" Buffy was appalled at what she was seeing and hearing, but she was damned if she'd let this arrogant bitch intimidate her. . .or at least let her know that she was. Tanara smiled coldly at the quip, and Buffy pressed on: "So, what's the plan? You beat the hell out of us and dump us on the beach while you move your operation to the supersecret base full of minions with color coordinated uniforms?"  
  
Tanara laughed, then replied, "We'll be moving. . .but there's no need to beat you up. . .not yet, anyway. Haven't you figured it out yet? This is a dream. . .I'm just here to give you a message. . .you're all going to die. . .and I'm going to be there to enjoy every last twitch." She gestured, and four of the demons moved forward, effortlessly seizing the two Slayers and preventing their movement as Tanara moved forward and continued, "I'll leave you a little momento to make you realize this wasn't just the aftermath of some bad seafood." Carefully, she took a crimson fingernail and moved it down Buffy's arm, drawing blood. She then repeated the procedure with Kendra and stepped back to view her handiwork, after which she gestured again, causing the demons to release the Slayers.  
  
Buffy glanced down at the bloody scratch on her arm and commented dismissively, "Big deal. Rip-off of 'The Golden Child'. . .and not even a good one."  
  
Tanara shrugged and commented, "They can't all be gems, Buffy. . .and besides. . .it would ruin all of the fun if I simply ripped your throats out." She sat on her throne and waved her hand casually, saying bluntly, "You can go now. . .see you soon."  
  
There was a flash of light, and Buffy sat up in her bed, breathing heavily and heart racing. She pulled down the sleeve of her nightgown. . .and saw a pink line that had not been there when she had gone to sleep. She leapt out of bed and ran to her bedroom door, opening it to find Kendra standing there, similarly out of breath. The younger Slayer showed Buffy the wound on her own arm, and commented tersely:  
  
"We're in a lot of trouble."  
  
  
* * * * *  
  
  
"Your collection seems quite extensive, Rupert. . .though one could wish that the Council would be more generous with loaning the Field Watcher some of the rarer texts in their collection. . .with all that has happened here, one would think that they would realize the need." Samuel Zabuto spoke quietly as he glanced at a fifteenth century work on the habits of a cult of axe wielding demons. He turned back to Giles, whose expression made it clear that he agreed with his fellow Watcher. He smiled and continued, "But there seems to be adequate information on Acathla here to proceed, and from what you've said we have more help on the way."  
  
Giles nodded and replied, "Yes." He had phoned Angel, who had predictably been disturbed at the news, and had immediately agreed to consult all of his sources and report back as quickly as possible. He had placed a call to Willow at 6 AM, and she had promised to bring Xander and Oz for research duty. He heard footsteps coming from the stacks, and he turned to greet Jenny, who offered her cheek to him to kiss. He turned to Zabuto, saying, "Sam, I'd like you to meet Jenny Calendar. Jenny, this is Samuel Zabuto, Kendra's Watcher."  
  
Zabuto took Jenny's hand and shook it firmly, commenting, "Rupert has managed to tell me a lot about you, considering the gravity of our situation. . .it's nice to meet you. . .please call me Sam."  
  
Jenny smiled, noting that the Watcher had not noticed the coolness of her hand. * The glamour spell is working perfectly. . .thank goodness, the last think we need is a paranoid Watcher on our hands. * She replied, "From what Rupert said at the time that Kendra came to visit us, you have quite a reputation with the Council. . .it's a shame that we only get to meet when things are this bad." She turned back to Giles and asked, "So where are we at?"  
  
Giles frowned and replied, "The beginning, I'm afraid. . .the legend of Acathla is well known to the Council, but the specifics of how it might be used to bring about the end of the world now are a bit sketchy. . .we need to do extensive research-"  
  
"Which is why he's called in the troops." Willow piped up as she, Xander and Oz walked up to the two Watchers and Jenny. Giles quickly made introductions: Willow smiled broadly as she shook hands with Zabuto, while Oz settled for a brief handshake and nod. Xander shook hands with the Watcher, then gave him an odd look, as if remembering something. He wandered off into the stacks while Willow and Oz settled down into chairs, preparing to dig into the pile of books that Giles had placed on the main table. Willow asked, "When will Buffy and Kendra get here?"  
  
Giles frowned and replied, "They should be here in a little while. . .we had them out looking for signs of unusual activities until rather late. . .given the stakes here, they should both be well rested before they need to go into battle." She shook his head in disgust and commented, "They've both seen a lot, but that scene at the museum was rather disturbing. . .not to mention the apocalyptic implications. . .I hope they had an undisturbed rest."  
  
Zabuto nodded and replied, "Both of them are quite capable, Rupert. . .and given the events of the last few months, I think that Buffy at least will not be unduly disturbed. . .unless the dreams have a purpose."  
  
"I don't believe it. . .it is you. Sam 'The Tornado' Zabuto." Xander's voice carried across the room, causing the others to freeze in surprise. . .except for Zabuto, who slowly turned to see Xander holding an open book in his hands. The Watcher smiled and commented, "No one's called me that in over twenty years, Xander. . .I'm surprised that anyone your age would have even know there ever was such a person."  
  
"What are you talking about, Xander? Why would anyone call Sam 'The Tornado'?. . .it sounds like he was some sort of natural disaster." Jenny's voice was puzzled, and she was further surprised as Zabuto laughed deeply, an unfamiliar sound in the library.  
  
"I used to follow track and field really closely when I was a kid," Xander explained, "and I know recent American track stars pretty well. . .Mr. Zabuto was a sprinter for the University of Louisiana in the mid-70's. . .he would have made the '76 Olympics for sure if he hadn't torn up his knee in the trials. I remembered this book in the sports section and looked for a picture that I knew was there." He showed the others the picture: it depicted a much younger Zabuto in the starting blocks preparing to run the 100 meters, which the caption stated he won in a time of 9.99 seconds. . .very creditable for the era. Xander turned to the Watcher and asked, "What did you do after you stopped running? You were a Rhodes scholar, weren't you?"  
  
"Yes, Xander, I was. . .and as you might guess, it was then that the Council decided to approach me. With my running career cut short, I was looking for new direction in my life, and I had. . .personal. . .reasons for choosing to take up the battle against the undead." Zabuto did not elaborate, and the others respected his reticence. The Watcher turned to Xander and concluded, "I'd love to discuss this if we have time, Xander. . .but given the circumstances. . ."  
  
Xander nodded and replied, "No problem, but if we avert the apocalypse, I want an autograph."  
  
Zabuto smiled and was about to reply when Buffy and Kendra burst in. Everyone turned to the grim Slayers, and Buffy broke the brief silence by stating bluntly, "We've got a situation here. Giles, pack up the weapons from the cage. . .Xander, if you've got any weapons from your little procurement trip in January, go get them. I called Cordy. . .we can use her car and Giles' to haul the weapons over to the beach-"  
  
"Buffy. . .what's wrong? Do you know where Acathla is?" Giles was anxious, though he trusted Buffy's instincts. . .hauling large amounts of lethal weaponry in broad daylight was not to be taken lightly.  
  
"If we're lucky. . .if not, we just have a big problem. . .but if we are lucky, we need some heavy firepower." Buffy's tone was grim, and she locked eyes with her Watcher as she concluded, "Let's get going, guys. . .I'll explain as we load up."  
  
  
* * * * *  
  
Three hours later, Giles and Jenny were going over the Acathla materials, having volunteered to keep up the research efforts while the others investigated the caves that the Slayers had seen in their dreams, when the group filed back in, carrying the bags that they had taken out with them and looking grim. Giles looked over at Buffy and asked, "No luck?"  
  
Buffy shook her head and replied, "Nothing left but the body of that demon we saw die. . .and this." She held out a piece of paper, on which was written in blood a short message:  
  
"See you soon . . ."  
  
  
  
. . .to be continued.  
  
  
As always, comments are welcome and desired.  



	3. Part III

Part III  
  
  
"Have I ever mentioned how enjoyable it is reading books so old that their bicentennials have had bicentennials?" Xander's annoyed question got no response, and he concluded, "There's a reason for that."  
  
Giles turned and gave his young friend an annoyed look as he replied, "I know you'd rather be reading the sports page, Xander, but we are in a bit of a crisis here." Xander glowered at Giles for a moment, then turned back to reading the ancient book in front of him. Giles sighed and did likewise with the tome in front of him.  
  
Four hours had passed since the sea cave had been found to be empty, and the whole group had been searching through the research materials, trying to find information about both Acathla and the mysterious being known as Tanara.  
  
The second task had been easier, since both Giles and Zabuto had heard the name, and finding the books with the appropriate information had not been difficult. Tanara had once been a member of the nobility of a small European country. Too far down the secession to dream of ruling, she resorted to dark magic that cost her immortal soul, but gave her great personal power. The Slayer had been dispatched to eliminate the menace she presented, and she had fled, only to appear periodically to make other grabs for power. It was when Buffy shouted and pointed at a vivid picture in a nineteenth century book that they obtained the final piece of the puzzle.  
  
The Sisterhood of Jhe was a group of demons of particularly dangerous nature that sought to bring about the Apocalypse. They had been thwarted at various times in the past two centuries, sometimes at the cost of the life of the current Slayer, but in the late nineteenth century they had gained a new leader who made them far more dangerous: Tanara. Or so the Watchers had thought. . .but the Sisterhood had not been seen in the last century.  
  
"A hundred years and they couldn't find a decent Apocalypse to stir up until now?" commented Willow. "The way they keep popping up around here, you'd think that this Tanara would have found some way to try to bring about the end of the world before now."  
  
Zabuto smiled grimly and replied, "These things tend to be cyclical, Miss Rosenberg, and confined to certain areas of mystic significance. Or, to put it more concisely from your point of view: wrong place, wrong time." He sighed and concluded, "Fortunate, in that otherwise these things would be hard to prevent, unfortunate in that when the dam finally breaks, it can take an extraordinary effort to deal with it."  
  
Giles nodded in agreement and elaborated, "If ending the world were that easy of a proposition, the Master wouldn't have had to come to the Hellmouth to try to bring it about in the first place." He placed a book with a red cover on the table and opened it to a certain page before continuing, "Now that we have the who, what and why of the situation, I think this will explain the how and the when." He pointed at a particular passage and began to read, "The Sleeping Demon can be awakened by performing the Ritual of Vondar during the new moon. . ."  
  
"The next new moon is tomorrow night," commented Oz, who of course had good reason to be aware of the cycles of the moon. "Doesn't exactly give us a lot of time, does it?"  
  
"No, but on the bright side, that ritual requires the sacrifice of a number of powerful demons to complete it." Angel had drifted in from the stacks and his sudden interjection caused all heads to turn to him. "If we can interrupt the ritual in progress, we can attack them while she has less numbers on her side."  
  
Giles looked over at Zabuto and grimaced as he commented, "Yet another good news/bad news dichotomy. . .still, it gives us a better chance of stopping the ritual from being completed." He beckoned to Angel and continued, "Angel, this is Samuel Zabuto, Kendra's Watcher. Samuel, this is Angel."  
  
Zabuto offered his hand, and Angel shook it firmly, noticing the fascinated look in the man's eyes. He raised an eyebrow, and Zabuto smiled and apologized, "I'm sorry for staring. . .but you do have a fascinating history, and recent events have only made it more so."  
  
Angel's expression darkened, and he whispered, "It seems less fascinating when you've actually lived it, and have to remember it, Mr. Zabuto." He blinked, then continued, "I'm sorry. . .that was rude. . .I'm sure that encountering an ensouled vampire isn't an everyday occurrence for you."  
  
Zabuto raised an eyebrow, then replied, "No. . .but it is the third time in the last twenty-four hours." As he spoke, he turned and looked directly at Giles and Jenny.  
  
Willow gasped, and Buffy silently stood and moved to a point directly between the two vampires and Kendra, who was watching the scene calmly. The others just stared. . .then Giles blinked, polished his glasses, and asked, "How did you know?"  
  
"There were several things that led me to be suspicious," replied Zabuto, watching his counterpart as he and his lover walked rather shakily to nearby chairs and sat down. "I examined the materials that Miss Rosenberg translated regarding the curse ritual. They were fascinating reading, but one tended to wonder why you needed the extra materials in the first place when the material translated by Miss Calendar was sufficient to restore Angelus' soul to him. Also, you covered it well, but your movements were noticeably different after that night, Rupert. . .no more references to daytime outdoor activity, and the like. Miss Calendar changed jobs at that point, too. The clinchers came when we arrived and it turned out that you were headed for a midnight meeting with a museum employee, and when I actually saw you, Rupert." Giles frowned, and Zabuto explained, "The glamour spell is an excellent one, but it is subject to countering by talismans, and I made sure that Kendra and I were both well protected; after all, it was not completely out of the realm of possibility that things were not as the reports made them seem, and we could have been walking into a trap. Obviously, the state of affairs here has convinced me that we have not." Zabuto frowned and concluded, "There are others on the Council who would not be so understanding, however. I have no intention of passing on my discovery to them, and I believe that our reports on this incident can certainly omit any extraneous information, assuming that we all survive to file them. Is this an acceptable arrangement?"  
  
Giles and Jenny looked at each other, then Giles turned back to Zabuto and replied in a dazed voice, "Yes, it certainly is. . .thank you, Samuel."  
  
Buffy turned and looked at Kendra for a long moment before asking quietly, "Is this going to be all right with you, Kendra? The last time you were in Sunnydale you weren't exactly Angel's biggest booster."  
  
Kendra shrugged and replied, "Angel is back to his old self, and you have ceased the activities that might put his soul in future jeopardy." Buffy flushed for a moment, then relaxed as Kendra continued, "As for Mr. Giles and Ms. Calendar, I have studied the appropriate texts, and they are quite clear: the souls bestowed by the non-curse ritual are permanent unless extraordinary dark magic is called upon to dispel them, and that is a remote risk, to say the least. . .I trust them not to turn evil." The younger Slayer smiled wistfully, then concluded, "Besides, Buffy. . .in spite of your attempts to influence my behavior during my last visit, I am still quite inclined to follow orders. . .if Mr. Zabuto is satisfied as to the bona fides of your friends, I will not question them either."  
  
Buffy smiled back at Kendra and gave her an uninhibited hug, then looked over at Zabuto and smiled gratefully at him: the dark eyes of the Watcher acknowledged the thanks before he looked back at Giles and suggested, "Now that this little matter has been dealt with, shall we get back to work? Time is most definitely not our friend right now."  
  
  
* * * * *  
  
  
Eight hours later, they had come up with precisely nothing. Buffy had gone out and hassled Willy the Snitch and a few of his patrons, but for a change Willy was completely in the dark, and he didn't know anyone who might know. He had turned bone white when Buffy gave him a brief description of what would happen if Tanara achieved her purpose, and swore up and down that he would call the library immediately if he heard anything about the Sisterhood of Jhe. A few other sources that Angel had recommended also turned up nothing (though they too were motivated to be helpful when they heard about the impending threat), and Buffy had returned to the library, frustrated and angry.   
  
Research had likewise turned out to be unhelpful. The ritual had to be conducted outdoors, but there were any number of homes in Sunnydale isolated enough to perform such a ritual without undue notice being attracted, and there was nothing stopping Tanara from keeping the rather conspicuous Apocalypse demons out of sight until the ceremony was ready to begin. Sunnydale was a relatively small town, but searching house to house was not going to be practical.  
  
Night had just fallen when the whole group met again in the library to compare notes, and everyone agreed that they had a major problem. "We've done about all we can with research," Giles commented, "and it's just a matter of finding them, then waiting. We'll split up, cover as much of the town as we can and hope that some of the informants that Buffy motivated to help us come through with the location of the Sisterhood."  
  
Everyone nodded in agreement, and they were gathering supplies and preparing to head out when the phone rang loudly in Giles' office. He went in to answer it, and the others were quietly waiting for him to conclude the call when they heard Giles utter a vile curse and snap, "I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but I'm not in the mood for it! Don't think that just because you're out of this town, I can't send Buffy to hunt you down. . .she'd enjoy it."  
  
Buffy ran over to the office door just in time to see Giles blink and swallow at something he heard at the other end of the line. He leaned down and pressed the "Hold" button on the phone before hanging up the receiver, then walked past Buffy with a stunned expression on his face. Buffy followed closely as Giles walked over to the front desk phone, then hit the speakerphone button and stated flatly: "You're on."  
  
"That's better. . .always nice to talk to the whole gang at once." The voice was accented and sardonic in tone, and sent a chill down the spine of everyone in the room who recognized it. Buffy stared at the phone and spat out the speaker's name like a curse:  
  
"Spike."  
  
  
. . .to be continued.  
  
  
As always, comments are welcome and desired.  



	4. Part IV

Part IV  
  
"You remember me--I'm touched, luv." Spike sounded amused, though Buffy noted a hint of stress in his voice that she did not remember ever having heard before. "Have I called at a bad time?"  
  
"Yeah, kind of trying to save the world right now, Spike--can't you bug someone else?" Buffy snapped, and gave Giles a puzzled look. * Why are we wasting time with this jerk? *  
  
"Oh, you mean trying to stop the pint-sized sex kitten with a platoon of killer demons from sucking the world into Hell? Yeah, kind of caught wind of that." The amusement was gone from Spike's voice, and the stress more pronounced. "I don't suppose you'd be interested in some info on that, would you?"  
  
Buffy paled, and counted to five before replying, "OK, Spike--you've got our attention. What do you know, and how could you possibly know it? Last I heard you and Dru were heading for parts unknown."  
  
"Rio, actually. Nice climate, plenty of entertainment, plenty of good eating." Spike chuckled, and Buffy snarled at the tone of the vampire's voice. Spike caught the reaction and decided to move on. "Dru's been having visions--visions of that Tanara bitch and her playmates waking this Acathla thing up to do its Hoover imitation. She's been more coherent lately--maybe getting away from the Hellmouth and that transfusion she got from Peaches--I recognized the location she was talking about." There was a pause, then Spike elaborated, "Angel, it's that old mansion on Ocean Parkway--the one on the sea cliff that you were scouting out before you got all soul having again."  
  
Buffy turned to Angel, who nodded and commented, "It's perfect for their purposes--isolated, big back yard, hard to attack with a large force. There's a tunnel that lets out on a spot overlooking the place--we can use it for surveillance while we get our people into place."  
  
Buffy frowned and nodded. They had caught a break, but she had to understand why. "Spike, why are you calling us about this--are you sure we can't stop it and the thought of us scrambling over there to get our asses kicked just in time to usher in the new people-free world too fun for you to resist?"  
  
The speaker was silent for a moment, and Buffy was about to reach for the disconnect button when she heard the muttered reply: "Listen, Slayer--I wanted you dead, and I'm not going to lose any sleep when you do buy the farm--but I like this world more or less the way it is. Plenty of fun things to do, plenty of food, and not many beings that can tell me what to do and expect to survive the experience. If that Acathla does his thing, the people will be gone and I'm going to be pretty low in the pecking order- -I'd like to prevent that. Dru's always had a soft spot for apocalypses-- that's why she sent for that Judge wanker. I knew that he'd be stopped--a few million people buy it, then the Army boys come in and blow him into flaming chunks. You were just a bit quicker about it than I thought would happen. This time it's different--if you lose, the world is gone. I don't want that to happen."  
  
Buffy scowled at Spike's callousness about the victims of the Judge, then turned to Angel: "Are you buying this?"  
  
Angel frowned, then nodded: "Spike likes his simple pleasures--the new order would deny them to him." He shivered and added, "Be glad that it wasn't Angelus who had this information--he'd have laughed his head off as the world was sucked into Hell."  
  
Buffy echoed Angel's shiver, and turned back to the phone: "OK, Spike-- thanks for the info. I hope you're not expecting a big reward or anything."  
  
"Don't tell Dru, and we'll call it even." Spike replied.  
  
Buffy muttered, "No problem," and was about to disconnect when she heard Spike say, "Buffy?"  
  
Buffy frowned. "Yeah, Spike?"  
  
"Put them in the ground, Slayer--put them in the bloody ground." Buffy heard a click, and after a moment the dial tone came on.  
  
Buffy turned off the phone and walked to where the others had been listening. "All right, Kendra and I will check it out to confirm that Spike wasn't just yanking our chain. Everyone else--get ready. We've only got a few hours to stop this."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Dru is as loony as they come, but she had this one spot on."  
  
Buffy and Kendra were crouched in the thankfully dry opening of a sewer drain. A small ledge was about ten feet below them, but after that it was a three hundred foot drop to the rocks below. They were about three hundred feet from the edge of the property they were observing and a hundred feet above it--they could see the entire place from their perspective, while the nearest houses were thoroughly out of sight from either the pipe or the house. The Slayers could clearly see Apocalypse demons moving around in the house, carrying large objects out into the back yard.  
  
Buffy pulled out the cell phone in her purse and hit the speed-dial button. Giles answered, and Buffy reported, "Spike called it right--the Sisterhood is moving furniture and getting things ready. Figure that they'll need another two hours to get the ritual area ready, then however long it takes to sacrifice the Sisters to scare up the mojo. Get everyone ready--it'll be dark in half an hour, and we can start moving into position."  
  
The line was silent for a moment, and Buffy tensed before Giles said quietly, "We'll be ready," and broke the connection.  
  
Buffy turned to Kendra and inclined her head at the tunnel and whispered, "Let's go." Kendra nodded, and they walked along the tunnel in silence for a few moments before Buffy commented, "We've got a shot--I'm just deeply annoyed that it was Spike who gave it to us."  
  
Kendra shrugged. "Fate's twists are a hazard dat we all must deal with, Buffy." Buffy nodded, and Kendra added, "Even if we strike at de most opportune moment, de odds we face are grim, Buffy. We will undoubtedly suffer substantial casualties."  
  
"I know," Buffy said quietly, fidgeting with a stake as she walked along. She stopped and turned to Kendra, looking into her eyes as she said earnestly, "I know we're going to beat these bastards, but if I don't make it, could you look out for my family and friends?"  
  
Kendra blinked and replied softly, "If you were to die, I am certain dat the Council would want a Slayer to watch de Hellmouth."  
  
"I know that," Buffy replied softly, "and you'd do a good job of protecting it. I'm asking you to take care of the people I love--the way I would if I was still alive to do it myself."  
  
Kendra blinked and looked away from Buffy as she whispered, "No one could do dat, Buffy--but I will try. You have my word."  
  
Buffy reached out and took the younger Slayer's hand, squeezing it as she said simply, "Thank you." She released Kendra's hand and said in a cheerful voice, "Now let's go kick that bitch out of our town."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"GO!"  
  
Xander's voice crackled over the cell phone, and Buffy echoed it: "GO!! Everyone move in!"  
  
Buffy kicked down the side gate on the left side of the house, and at the same moment Kendra kicked a hole in the fence on the right side. Buffy moved into the yard with Giles and Zabuto, while Kendra moved in with Angel. Xander was acting as the spotter from the sewer tunnel, while Jenny and Willow stood next to him--they had special assignments during the assault.  
  
Both squads burst into the backyard--where they beheld a large ritual circle piled high with the corpses of the Sisterhood of Jhe, surrounded by various urns and other artifacts glowing with power--and the silent stone figure of Acathla. Four of the demons remained, along with a visibly amused Tanara. "So, you did find us before the festivities really got started--good for you. You get to die before things really get unpleasant." The demons stayed where they stood, and Tanara chuckled and said, "Well? Go on and kill them--you know you want to."  
  
The Sisters snarled and charged forward. The Slayers, Giles, and Angel drew broadswords, and Zabuto brought out his cane as the battle was joined. Tanara sat back and watched the fighting, ignoring the dark cliff behind her.  
  
A flash of light came from the cliff area, and Tanara flinched when a bolt of red light flew by her and shattered an ancient Greek urn that had taken her months to find. She snarled and turned in time to see a second bolt shatter a crystal vase full of unholy water. The sorceress quickly recognized the magic being used and wove a protective spell to shield the artifacts against destructive energy. There were still enough of the artifacts left to complete the ritual with some difficulty, as long as no more were destroyed. The spell she had just cast was powerful and exhausted her momentarily, but when she got her strength back those snipers would pay dearly--  
  
From a hundred yards away, Xander smiled at the infuriated sorceress and aimed the crossbow. * Time to pray for a good shot * He aimed, held his breath, and pulled the trigger cleanly.  
  
Tanara heard a hissing sound coming out of the darkness. If she had been at full strength, stepping in front of it and snatching it out of the air would have not presented much difficulty. However, she was slowed by her exertion and disoriented enough not to realize where the missile was going until it was too late.  
  
The crossbow bolt sailed past Tanara and headed directly for the grotesque figure of Acathla, shattering on its stony chest. Holy water from the tiny compartment in the arrowhead trickled over the dark stone, and the blessings bestowed on the missile by the Gypsy Cyberpagan and the Bad-Ass Wiccan caused the ritual circle to crackle with dark energy as it was disrupted, consuming the bodies of the Sisters and causing the artifacts to explode into fragments--leaving Acathla alone and inert for the foreseeable future. Tanara was knocked to the ground by the force of the blast, and it took a moment before she rose to her feet--her eyes literally flaming in rage. She wove a spell with the last remnants of her magical power and threw it across the chasm at the sewer opening, but no one was there when the fireball lit up the night and consumed the tunnel opening--the attackers had fled. The sorceress closed her eyes and screamed, "NO!!! You've ruined everything!"  
  
"Not yet." Buffy had dispatched her Sister, and she stepped forward as Giles and Zabuto continued to struggle against their remaining opponent. The Slayer smiled coldly as she raised her bloody broadsword and added, "But the night is young--and your head would look good in my trophy case."  
  
"So eager to die, Slayer? I don't need magic to kill you." Tanara snapped, pulling out a long blade made of dark metal. She screamed and attacked Buffy, with the sounds of their blades clashing intermingling with the continued sounds of fighting in the yard.  
  
It took Buffy only a few seconds to realize that she was in the fight of her life. Even with all of the power that had gone out of her, Tanara was lightning fast and stronger than Buffy. The Slayer was forced onto the defensive, holding her blade with both hands to help her absorb the shattering force of the dark blade in the sorceress' right hand. She forced herself to remain calm--Tanara was visibly furious, and it might cause her to make mistakes that Buffy could take advantage of.  
  
After a minute of grim fighting, Tanara left an opening in her defenses, and Buffy attacked, slashing Tanara's arm. She smirked. "First blood, bitch."  
  
Tanara snorted. "Enjoy it--it will be your last." The sorceress redoubled her attack, and Buffy went back to defensive fighting as the two of them came perilously close to the edge of the cliff. Buffy's back was to the cliff, and she swallowed hard and started to press back--she had no choice.  
  
Buffy saw another opening in Tanara's defenses in the same place as before, and attacked again. Her eyes widened in horror as Tanara's hands came together on the hilt of her blade and swung upward, knocking Buffy's blade free and over the cliff into the darkness. The force of the impact knocked Buffy to the ground, supine, and stunned her. When her vision cleared, Tanara stood over her, her blade inches from Buffy's heart.  
  
The sorceress smiled. "Not bad, Slayer--you saved your world for now. But you're going to die, and I'm just going to try again in a few years. Life's just unfair that way sometimes, isn't it?"  
  
Buffy steeled herself against the deathblow, and was about to close her eyes when she saw a blur of motion behind Tanara. Tanara started to turn, but was only able to grunt as Kendra hit her with a flying tackle, propelling the tiny woman over Buffy and over the cliff, with Kendra sailing over the edge with her.  
  
"NO!!" Buffy leapt to her feet--throwing off the dizziness she still felt-- and moved to the cliff edge. She could only watch in horror as the two women fell into the darkness and out of sight. She felt an irresistible urge to run after them--there was a narrow path leading down to the bottom of the cliff, and she could--  
  
* No * She looked back and saw that Zabuto and Giles were still struggling with the remaining Sister. She ran over and leapt onto the Sister's back, holding on with her legs while she slit its throat with a dagger. The Sister gurgled and dropped.  
  
Zabuto sighed in relief, then noticed that Buffy was alone. His eyes widened in concern, and Buffy nodded grimly and turned to where Angel had almost finished off the Sister. She whispered, "Help him," and ran off, scrambling down the narrow, crumbling path at a dangerous pace.  
  
After a couple of minutes, Buffy reached the bottom of the cliff and saw that it was strewn with large, jagged rocks. She saw Tanara's body and grimaced in revulsion: she had been impaled and her skull crushed, killing her instantly. She looked around for Kendra's body, and quickly discovered a trail of blood leading away from Tanara's body and toward the surf. Buffy ran along and found Kendra lying on the sand, only a few feet away from the water. She was very pale and her legs were visibly broken. Buffy knelt next to her and saw that her eyes were still open and moving. Buffy forced a smile and whispered, "Hey--that was a good takedown, but that pointy thing in your hand could have done the job, too."  
  
Kendra's mouth twitched, and Buffy listened intently as the younger Slayer rasped, "Had to be sure. Couldn't let dat thing win. You gave me de chance to finish her--and I did."  
  
"Yes, you did--you did good, Kendra." Buffy blinked, and tears fell as she pleaded, "Hold on--the others will be here soon, and we can--"  
  
"No, you can't, Buffy." Kendra gasped, reaching out for Buffy. Buffy grasped her hand gently, and Kendra squeezed softly before locking eyes with Buffy and whispering, "Buffy--dank you for all you tried to teach me. I wish dat I could have tried--" Her voice trailed off, and her eyes went blank.  
  
Buffy reached out and checked her pulse, and felt that it was gone. Desperately, she pushed Kendra onto her back, and started CPR. * It has to work--it has to! * She kept at it frantically, repeating the sequence she had been taught with robotic, tireless precision. She ignored the sounds of motion near her, and almost flinched when she heard Xander say softly: "Buffy."  
  
"Don't bother me--I'm trying to work here." Buffy replied tersely, continuing chest pressure and leaning down to breathe for Kendra.  
  
Buffy felt a hand on her shoulder, and saw that Angel was standing there next to Xander--and that both men had tears in their eyes. The vampire shook his head sadly and said, "Buffy--she's gone: I'm so sorry."  
  
Buffy looked and saw the same verdict in Xander's eyes. She mechanically got up and walked away from Kendra, seeing Giles and Zabuto walk over and witness the scene. It was Giles who held Buffy as she sobbed uncontrollably, and Zabuto who carefully lifted Kendra into his arms after gently closing her eyes and carried her back up the cliff, to where the others were waiting for the sad news.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The corpses of Tanara and her Sisters were carted into the house, which was then burned to the ground. Kendra had been the only fatality in the group, while several of the others were wounded. The authorities had no record of Kendra being in Sunnydale, which made private, discreet arrangements easier to pull off. The body had been cremated, and the urn given to Zabuto--who would return the ashes to Kendra's parents.  
  
A small, private memorial service was held at the Summers' house three days later--in the evening, so as to accommodate the mourners with daylight issues. Zabuto gave the eulogy, speaking of Kendra's courage and dedication to the cause, and the grim determination that had allowed her to sacrifice her life without hesitation. He had invited others to speak after him, and a few of the others had taken the opportunity. Buffy was not one of them--she sat silently in her chair, her eyes red-rimmed and blank with grief, and she was oblivious of the concern in the eyes of her friends as the service concluded.  
  
Zabuto had collected the urn and was saying goodbye to Giles and Angel when Buffy walked up to him. She started to speak, then closed her mouth before opening it and whispering, "I'm sorry." She turned and fled, running up the stairs to her room and slamming the door.  
  
The others reacted with apologetic expressions and concerned looks at Buffy's door. They did not see Zabuto glance at the closed door with an unreadable expression before he bade the others goodbye and headed out for the sad journey home.  
  
* * * * *  
  
AUGUST 12, 1998  
  
Buffy looked up and saw that Xander was still watching patiently, ready to help or just wait. She felt a moment of warmth, and whispered, "Xander--I know I'm screwed up over this, and none of you deserve the crap I've been putting you through." She turned to the window, and stared as she added quietly, "I just don't know if I'm going to be able to get past this."  
  
"Maybe I can help," replied Xander. He pulled out a letter-sized envelope and handed it to Buffy, who could see "Miss Buffy Summers" written on it in neat handwriting. Buffy stared at it, and Xander elaborated, "Mr. Zabuto sent a box with stuff in it for all of us--I got a signed photo, and you got this letter."  
  
Buffy's hands began to shake, and she closed her eyes and handed the letter back to Xander: "I can't, Xander." Xander frowned in concern, and Buffy shivered and asked, "Could you read it to me?"  
  
Xander hesitated, then nodded. He carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the letter, scanning it briefly. A touch of sadness entered his eyes, and Buffy tensed as he cleared his throat and began to read aloud:  
  
"Dear Buffy,  
  
I am sorry that events did not allow us to converse more while I was in Sunnydale. Aside from the world-threatening danger that brought us together, I would have liked to have more time to speak with you about your life here in Sunnydale. From what I have seen, you are a credit to your Calling and a fine young woman.  
  
I regret that I was unable to help you with your obvious grief at Kendra's death. It may not have been obvious from our interactions in your presence, but Kendra was as dear to me as if she had been my own daughter, and her loss was devastating to me--it made me rather insensitive to the needs of others during that time. If my inability contributed to the problems Mr. Giles has informed me you have been having in recent weeks, then I can only tender my most sincere apologies and hopes that you will overcome this tragedy and continue to pursue your duties with the vigor and competence that you have demonstrated previously.  
  
I also hope that you do not hold yourself responsible in any way for Kendra's death. Your conduct in engaging a vastly superior opponent in single combat in order to buy the rest of us time saved all of our lives, and gave Kendra the opportunity she needed to remove the threat. Were your positions reversed, I have not a doubt in the world that you would have acted as she did, leaving Kendra in the position of mourning that you find yourself in now. Kendra would not have blamed you for her death, and I would implore you not to do so--such sentiments are pointless, counter- productive, and detract from the sacrifice that Kendra chose of her own free will to make.  
  
Buffy--I became a Watcher after my family was killed by vampires, and after circumstances took me away from a career path that was rather more mundane. Both circumstances drove me to perfectionism, and I fear that the demeanor that you found so off-putting in Kendra when you first met her was due to my influence. I trained her mercilessly, with the sincere belief that doing so would help keep her alive for as long as possible if she was Called. For the most part, it worked--she was a dedicated student and a fearless opponent of darkness. However, your belief that isolating oneself from emotion and human contact in the course of duty ultimately lessens a fighter's ability to face opponents is valid, and I was pleased when I observed the changes that her first visit to Sunnydale had wrought in her. Her ties to this place helped her in her final battle, and I take great pride in the fact that she did not merely die in the course of doing her duty and saving the world--she died helping to protect people she loved. That is a gift which you helped her obtain, and I will be forever grateful to you for that.  
  
I will be assigned to different duties now, but Mr. Giles will be able to contact me if the need arises. Please feel free to call on me in time of need--in memory of Kendra, and because you are a worthy ally, who merits every bit of assistance that can be directed to you.  
  
Warmest Regards,  
  
Samuel Zabuto"  
  
Buffy stared at the letter in Xander's hand as he finished reading, and her whisper was barely audible: "I made a difference in her life."  
  
"Of course you did, Buffy--how could you ever have doubted that?" Xander moved next to Buffy, and the Slayer leaned on his shoulder as he held her and added, "You kind of make an impression on people, Buffy. How many Slayers get to have a role model who knows what the life is like? You gave her a new way of looking at things, and it made her life better--all the way to the end."  
  
Buffy nodded, and looked at Xander for a moment before starting to sob again. Xander tensed, but quickly noticed that the sobs had a relieved sound to them--as if a barrier had been broken. Xander sighed in relief and held Buffy as the afternoon lazily passed on. Outside the door, Joyce sighed in relief and went down to fix dinner.  
  
As always, comments are welcomed and desired. 


End file.
